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September 21, 2009
Exclusive: Congressional Reps Demand Oversight Hearings for Obama ‘Czars’
Didn’t America Fight a War to Get Rid of Royalty?
Based on the heavy and impassioned attendance at town hall meetings throughout the latter part of the summer and the enormous September 12th March on Washington – with attendance pegged by some accounts at over one million strong – it seems apparent that the mood is changing in America. It appears our citizenry will no longer stand for Washington to be unresponsive, out-of-control and unaccountable; and they now see that the change they were threatened, er, promised during the presidential campaign is about as distasteful as a month-old sardine found in a New York City gutter.
Well, it’s about time.
With that in mind, FamilySecurityMatters.org will step up its monitoring of what the various key members of Congress are doing to advance the noble aspiration of accountability and transparency in Washington – something that the current administration pledged while campaigning for office, but clearly has no plan or wish to do.
The recent resignation of Van Jones, a self-described Communist whom Mr. Obama appointed as his “Green Jobs Czar,” underscores the importance of both accountability and transparency insofar as these faux “czars” are concerned. All members who serve in Congress are sworn to protect and defend the Constitution (even though many do not despite their vow), but the “czars” are under no such obligation, even though their anointed powers in many instances outstrip those of duly-elected Congressional representatives. Now that there are a full 44 “czars” appointed by Obama – as outrageous as that sounds, it is true – it is also time to stop and take note of just who these people are as we, The People, haven’t a clue. What we do know about them is that they are unelected, unvetted and unaccountable to anyone except the dictator, er, president, and that is an egregious violation that absolutely cannot stand.
Heroes Are Back in Washington
Are any politicians in Washington on top of this issue? Thankfully, the answer is yes. Both Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) have stepped up to the plate. In the case of Rep. Blackburn, the Congresswoman will be introducing a resolution that addresses the people’s concerns by requesting the President report to Congress on the responsibilities and qualifications of appointed “czars” similar to the Senate confirmation process. The resolution also calls for Congressional oversight hearings on appointed "czars."
In the case of Rep. McHenry, who is a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, he has called for an oversight hearing with the 44 appointed “czars” of the Obama Administration.
In a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee, McHenry requested that all 44 czars be called to testify about their roles and responsibilities. Such a hearing would help determine the questionable constitutionality of high-level Administration officials serving without Senate confirmation.
The Letter Reads As Follows
September 9, 2009
Chairman Edolphus Towns Ranking Member Darrell Issa
Committee on Oversight Committee on Oversight
& Government Reform & Government Reform
U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515 Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Chairman Towns and Ranking Member Issa:
I respectfully request a hearing by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on the responsibilities of the Obama Administration’s various “czars.”
Article II, Section 2 of the United States Constitution provides that the President “shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint high government officials.” The Senate’s role is clearly defined in this process, requiring its advice and consent to presidential appointments to high-level positions in Cabinet departments and independent agencies.
Since taking office in January, President Obama has appointed 44 policy adviser “czars” with positions of responsibility ranging from conducting our nation’s foreign policy to overhauling our health care system. These czars are neither vetted by the Senate nor required to testify before Congress on their activities. Furthermore, the scope and limitations of their authority still remain unclear.
Each of the two possible scenarios here is troubling. If the czars have high-level, decision-making authority as their titles would indicate, then it is my concern that their appointment without Senate approval represents a circumvention of our Constitutionally-mandated confirmation process. On the other hand, if the czars have no actual power, then I am equally concerned that taxpayers are fronting the bill for the salaries of these figureheads and their staff.
Just this past weekend, the President’s Green Jobs Czar, Van Jones, resigned after details about his radical views and previous inappropriate comments surfaced in the media. Mr. Jones’ questionable past would have been brought to light before he took his position had he been vetted by the Senate. His ability to slip into a position of power without due Congressional diligence only further underscores the necessity for a confirmation process.
I ask that the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, in its capacity as investigator of our federal bureaucracy, bring these appointed czars before the full committee to testify on their authority and responsibilities. The American public deserves no less than the transparency and accountability promised by this Administration of its appointed officials.
Sincerely,
Patrick McHenry
Member of Congress
The Letter Reads As Follows
September 9, 2009
Chairman Edolphus Towns Ranking Member Darrell Issa
Committee on Oversight Committee on Oversight
& Government Reform & Government Reform
U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515 Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Chairman Towns and Ranking Member Issa:
I respectfully request a hearing by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on the responsibilities of the Obama Administration’s various “czars.”
Article II, Section 2 of the United States Constitution provides that the President “shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint high government officials.” The Senate’s role is clearly defined in this process, requiring its advice and consent to presidential appointments to high-level positions in Cabinet departments and independent agencies.
Since taking office in January, President Obama has appointed 44 policy adviser “czars” with positions of responsibility ranging from conducting our nation’s foreign policy to overhauling our health care system. These czars are neither vetted by the Senate nor required to testify before Congress on their activities. Furthermore, the scope and limitations of their authority still remain unclear.
Each of the two possible scenarios here is troubling. If the czars have high-level, decision-making authority as their titles would indicate, then it is my concern that their appointment without Senate approval represents a circumvention of our Constitutionally-mandated confirmation process. On the other hand, if the czars have no actual power, then I am equally concerned that taxpayers are fronting the bill for the salaries of these figureheads and their staff.
Just this past weekend, the President’s Green Jobs Czar, Van Jones, resigned after details about his radical views and previous inappropriate comments surfaced in the media. Mr. Jones’ questionable past would have been brought to light before he took his position had he been vetted by the Senate. His ability to slip into a position of power without due Congressional diligence only further underscores the necessity for a confirmation process.
I ask that the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, in its capacity as investigator of our federal bureaucracy, bring these appointed czars before the full committee to testify on their authority and responsibilities. The American public deserves no less than the transparency and accountability promised by this Administration of its appointed officials.
Sincerely,
Patrick McHenry
Member of Congress
So There Must be Hope?
Hope, yes, but it’s an uphill battle. While we have hero legislators such as Representatives Blackburn and McHenry, others are busy trying to create government takeovers in nearly every corner of American life, spending outrageous and unforgiveable sums of our money – it’s not the government’s to spend – to complete the takeovers. We don’t, however, have enough money to finance the conquests, so vast and unimaginable sums are being borrowed with interest in order to effect the takeovers. Can it get any crazier than this?
As only one example, Democrats are now targeting the student loan market for a total government takeover. Currently, the House is considering H.R. 3221, legislation that would abolish the Federal Family Education Loan program (a public-private partnership) and replace it with a system of government-run lending directly from – guess where - the U.S. Treasury (otherwise known as your back pocket).
If you have strong feelings about any sort of deficit spending to fund government takeovers with your hard-earned money, positive or negative, let your Congressional representatives know. Our representative government is just that – it requires that every politician in Washington is meant to represent our wishes and thus serves at the pleasure of We the People. Like all good managers, let’s let them know how we feel about their job performance.
Who knows...maybe they can, er, change.
Brought to you by the editors and research staff of FamilySecurityMatters.org.
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